#61: d'oh. so a personal ad for a hair twin isn't how you find one, eh?

Hair Biography

Curl Pattern: 2b to cTexture: med-finePorosity: low to med Density: medElasticity: medCharacteristics: slick and silky, easy to straighten, and easy to train that way holds a curl nicely, LI is a must or I get frizz that just won't quit,

Favorite styling techniques and why: plopping, pineappling, scrunching in product when wet, pin curling bangs, air drying when I have the time, diffusing when I don't

Techniques that didnít work and why: actually, everything I've tried worked just as folks said it would the only thing I couldn't do was Suave naturals co-wash daily. It left a residue on my scalp no matter how much I scrubbed, (even with a shampoo brush) results were very very very itchy. No more Suave for me.

I don't have too much to add here yet, since I'm new to CG and still experimenting.

Hair Biography

Curl Pattern: 2c/3aTexture: Medium, with a few coarsePorosity: LowDensity: ThickElasticity: Low Characteristics: Generally does the opposite of what I want it to; even if I try the same exact thing twice it never looks the same two days in a row; will take any style easily with high heat; takes unreasonable amounts of time to dry (so I have to wash it at night); cannot get second-day hair at all

CG/ModCG/not CG: CG since 2/3/10; started once a week low-poo bar 3/1/10

Average climate/dew points: Hot and humid most of the year, mild winters (southeastern U.S.)

Fall/Winter combos: Too new to knowSpring/Summer combos: Same as above

Favorite styling techniques and why: Fabulous clumps and curl with Icequeen Method!!! When I do the Icequeen wash/condition, then scrunch in KCCC and gel and plop overnight, I get the best curls so far.

Techniques that didn’t work and why: Super-soaker - I get great clumps, but very little curl. Diffusing is pointless - does not dry my hair at all. I'm disappointed to discover Re:Coil does not work for me.

Curl Pattern: 2a/bTexture: fine to mediumPorosity: Medium to highDensity: MediumElasticity: lowCharacteristics: drinks conditioner like a fish drinks water. But easily weighed down and likes to become stringy. Gets dried out easily.

CG/ModCG/not CG: CG, I will play with water soluble silicones but they seem to weigh my hair down.

HG/Go-to Products: nothing is in my constant rotation right now. I keep coming back to Giovanni Smooth as silk for a leave in. Just recently discovered Garnier Triple Nutrition for a conditioner and I LOVE BRHG!

Average climate/dew points: Oklahoma, so we have 4 seasons, sometimes in one day. Tends to be hot and humid in the summer. And cold and dry in the winter. Windy all the time.

Favorite styling techniques and why: Plopping seems to regularly promote curls. I like to air dry but when it's cold I can't so I diffuse.Techniques that didnít work and why: I still haven't gotten the hang of clipping. I pretty much can't use anything but my fingers for combing/brushing or it frizzes up.

Curl Pattern: 2c/3aTexture: fine to mediumPorosity: mediumDensity: thickElasticity: lowCharacteristics: tends to frizz, a mix of waves and curls; I used to flat iron my hair out every day, so I think there is potential for more curl formation

Curl Pattern: 2ish underneath, 3ish?? on canopyTexture: coarsePorosity: medium, high on the ends from coloring/highlightingDensity: thickElasticity: ? normal, I think...Characteristics: curlier when it's shorter, weighed down easily when longer, soaks up product like crazy!

CG/ModCG/not CG: CG

Hair ingredient likes: seems to like weekly protein in higher dewsHair ingredient dislikes: a lot of oils, glycerin (at least in the winter), panthenol, protein sensitive in the winter

Techniques that didnít work and why: SuperSoaker method in the winter, air drying, messing with my hair after I comb it - my hair gets angry and frizzes easily when anything is done to it between combing and plopping

Curl Pattern: 2b with some 2a near the back of my neck and some 2c near the front. At its curliest it appears like a pile of half-curled present-wrapping ribbons.Texture: Fine/Coarse. I have some extremely coarse hair on my crown. It's quite rough to the touch and comes in a variety of shapes--some strands have individual tight curls, some kinks, some are straight. I had initially assumed this was damage from bleach highlighting, but I haven't done that in over a year. The bottom layers are different varieties of fine. A small layer near my nape refuses to curl or crunch unless repeatedly coated with KCCC.Porosity: the top layer, high; the roots and underlayer, low. Density: medium. It looks low at the moment because I cut most of the coarse hair when I believed it was damaged.Elasticity: low, according to the 'stretch your hair between your fingers' test (which doesn't really make a lot of sense to me--the test, that is).

Characteristics: dry. Before CG it was fuffy/fuzzy a lot, but that seems to be the norm.CG/ModCG/not CG: mod CG (at least one weekly low-poo).

Hair ingredient likes: demulcents! Sticky, gooey stylers. It seems to like cetrimonium chloride in my condish. But I don't know if this is wise of my hair.Hair ingredient dislikes: Glycerin, mag sulfate, protein (at least on the coarse layer), oils applied directly (will take days to wash out). Gels don't seem to do much for me--though I do need a bit of hold.

Favorite styling techniques and why: currently parting, putting stuff in, plopping for a few min., then diffusing w/lots of products on hand. Pineappling at night--though it's sort of hard to get a loose enough pineapple that my hair stays in.Techniques that didn’t work and why: Anything that messes up my part, as I have lots of short hair up there.Hair Twins: none yet. My hair is too weird.

Curl Pattern: 2b,2c?Texture: fine, medium and coarsePorosity: medium/lowDensity: mediumElasticity: medium/lowCharacteristics: flat top/no root curl, very hard to straighten in the back, straighter in the front and curlier in the back. likes tons of conditioner and product, much less curly in front with no product, the back/bottom won't change much. Can get stringy. can get dry.

CG/ModCG/not CG: modCG since january 2010

Hair ingredient likes: a little protein here and there.Hair ingredient dislikes: too much jojoba oil makes it very greasy, I can't seem to use a small enough amount. Still not sure if GFTN is overconditioning.

Favorite styling techniques and why: applying products when very wet. plopping to help the drying process, scrunching with a t-shirt to also help dry, and scrunching in the product to encourage curl. air-drying.Techniques that didnít work and why: my hair is long so pineappling at night causes the roots of my hair to be tender by morning, although i can't say it doesn't work.

Curl Pattern: 2a-2bTexture: fine-mediumPorosity: medDensity: thick end of medium : definitely not as much volume as I'd like, but my hair used to be super dense (and much curlier) when I was younger, so I'm still getting used to limper hair, it may not be as thin as I think... Elasticity: low-ish I thinkCharacteristics: flat top (could be because my hair REALLY needs a cut, though). Easily weighed down. Frizzes easily on the canopy, but nicer/softer underneath. Fairly easy to straighten, but goes a bit wavy again on the ends if exposed to any humidity. Fairly dry on the ends, but scalp has a tendency to get oily if left unwashed for more than a couple of days

CG/ModCG/not CG: mod- CG (need to low-poo occasionally)

Hair ingredient likes: haven't worked these out yet, my hair CJ curl rehab regardless of how I use it. I also henna every 4-6 mths because it makes my hair soooo much nicerHair ingredient dislikes: haven't worked this out yet, but definitely a big no to ANY 'cones, any product with even a bit of cones left my hair feeling disgusting within a couple of days without a lo-poo. Anything by Aubreys makes my scalp break out in painful bumps within hours (still trying to work out why). Used poo bars for a while, started out fantastic, but ultimately left my hair feeling drier, and gave me really bad split end

Hard/Soft Water: hard

HG/Go-to Products: Curl rehab, definitely. KCCC is a go-to for spirals, and hard hold gel (BRHG, CHI) to keep them in place

Average climate/dew points: very dry (low dewpoint) in winter, very humid (high dew point) in summer

Fall/Winter combos: so far, HCC/CJDF to wash (occasionally gttt to clarify better or my scalp gets gross) Tigi O&H rinse out, KCKT leave-in, KCCC or possibly CIAB, and BRHG on top to holdSpring/Summer combos: CJDF or HCC to wash, no rinse out, CJCR or CCCC-lite as LI, then KCCC or CIAB and hard hold gel

Favorite styling techniques and why: diffusing gives me the best curls (again, I think my hair is too long, weighs it down too much to form curls), but needs very low setting and pixie method to minimise (can't eliminate) frizz on the canopy, but even then the curls lengthen throughout the day, get flatter. Trying not to diffuse too often, so I minimise damage though. Ice queen seems to work pretty well. Trying to find a good method for airdrying. Got fairly close with using clips... but needs some more work. Techniques that didn’t work and why: Just leaving my hair to air dry without touching it left my hair flat stringy and lifeless

Favorite styling techniques and why: Icequeen method, Scrunching out excess water with a long sleeve t-shirt + plopping. The Icequeen method gives me great clumps and plopping helps dry quickly. I also love diffusing when needed!Techniques that didn’t work and why: Supersoaker... the only thing it soaked was my bathroom.

Average climate/dew points: i move between upstate ny and nyc. upstate it's cold winters and hot summers. not much of an in-between for very long. it also rains randomly all the time. nyc gets all 4 seasons. i believe the dews range as well. i've only been looking into them this past month, so i don't know what they are for other seasons yet.

Favorite styling techniques and why: scrunch with microfiber towel to get rid of excess water before applying products- my curls aren't as weighed down, and is able to absorb more, i guess?
if i can, i let my hair air dry about 95% and then diffuse the rest of the way. then, when i SOTC, the curls are light and bouncy.
plopping- it works more now that my hair is longer, but i only do it for an hour or so.Techniques that didn’t work and why: icequeen- my hair got all tangled.
plopping overnight- the top of my head was oddly flat. no matter what.
supersoaker- made my hair too heavy and pulled out the curls.

Hair ingredient likes: hm... i should have figured this out by now.Hair ingredient dislikes: ditto^

Hard/Soft Water: bleh... water water.

HG/Go-to Products: BIOTERA STYLING GEL.Average climate/dew points: well, all 4 seasons/don't pay attention to dew points much.Fall/Winter combos: Never quite figured it out. Next time!Spring/Summer combos: Leave in and Biotera Gel (hopefully it will work in the Fall/Winter too).

Favorite styling techniques and why: scrunching with a microfiber towel(s) after leave in, then applying gel to drier hair. This helps my hair dry faster and makes it looks tons better than other techniques I attempted. I think it makes it a bit curlier or something because the water weight has less time to weigh the wurls and curls down while drying because it is scrunched out.Techniques that didn’t work and why: for nightime: buns, ponytails, pigtails, tight braids, tight braid, french braid, just about all of it gave my awful hair. diffusing, curls are so much thinner, and it's damaging. icequeen, just nothing special for me. supersoaker, too long to dry and inconsistent for me.

Fall/Winter combos: Suave on dry hair (soaks right in!)Spring/Summer combos: only been CG for three months, so we will see once it gets warmer what I end up doing!

Favorite styling techniques and why: super-soaker method to air-dry, straightening my bangs to match the rest of my roots and to get the "side-swept" lookTechniques that didnít work and why: plopping gives me smaller clumps that don't work with my looser S curl pattern, diffusing frizzes me up

Favorite styling techniques and why: loose braid in damp hair at night because it works perfectly for keeping curls intact without morning showers (and satin pillowcase)!!Techniques that didnít work and why: for nightime: buns, ponytails, pigtails, tight braids, tight braid, french braid, just about all of it gave my awful hair. and morning showers. just annoying. :P diffusing, curls are so much thinner, and it's damaging.

Hair Twins: none yet!

Sorry for all the stuff I didn't know. I pretty much keep my routine the same and stuff... Until I get new stuff. (PJ hehe. )

Originally Posted by xodevin

I think you're my hair twin!! (or the closest I've found so far). Your hair looks a lot like mine when I first started here and our properties are the same! Let me know if you have any questions

Favorite styling techniques and why: loose braid in damp hair at night because it works perfectly for keeping curls intact without morning showers (and satin pillowcase)!!Techniques that didnít work and why: for nightime: buns, ponytails, pigtails, tight braids, tight braid, french braid, just about all of it gave my awful hair. and morning showers. just annoying. :P diffusing, curls are so much thinner, and it's damaging.

Hair Twins: none yet!

Sorry for all the stuff I didn't know. I pretty much keep my routine the same and stuff... Until I get new stuff. (PJ hehe. )

Originally Posted by xodevin

I think you're my hair twin!! (or the closest I've found so far). Your hair looks a lot like mine when I first started here and our properties are the same! Let me know if you have any questions

Originally Posted by elita

Ooh, really? Yay! Hair twins!
One question (for now at least, hehe) : How did you find out your elasticity? And what is it?

Take a hair that has fallen out. Hold by each end and stretch it. If it breaks you have low elasticity and if it stretches without returning to it's normal size then you have high elasticity. My hair is usually in the mid-range. It gets brittle when it's dry or after I've gotten it colored and it gets stretchy when I'm overconditioned.

Hi everyone! Ive been lurking for a while now but this is my first actual post. I feel kind of creepy so I thought it was about time...

Hair Biography

Curl Pattern: 2 b/c
Texture: fine new growth/medium damaged hair
Porosity: high
Density: THICK
Elasticity: low
Characteristics: BIG/poofy i used to straighten daily for the primary reason of reducing bulk/volume. color treated, damaged, dry AND thinned out (shears) for years so it frizzes and tangles easily as the thicker growth comes out (if that makes any sense)

Hair ingredient likes: aloe, ummm....not sure what else as I haven't had many good hair days so far! Hair ingredient dislikes: glycerin, beeswax, mineral oil

Hard/Soft Water: not sure...either soft or not very hard

HG/Go-to Products: FSG, KCKT, BRHG, Lustrasilk Shea Mango

Average climate/dew points: Near Washington, D.C. We get a little of both...dry winters and humid summersFall/Winter combos: NO glycerin, that's about all I've figured out Spring/Summer combos: This will be my first since starting CG

Take a hair that has fallen out. Hold by each end and stretch it. If it breaks you have low elasticity and if it stretches without returning to it's normal size then you have high elasticity. My hair is usually in the mid-range. It gets brittle when it's dry or after I've gotten it colored and it gets stretchy when I'm overconditioned.

Originally Posted by elita

Ah. Thanks! I believe I am lowish to normalish, but may have to retest sometime to double check.